Leaf-turner



J. C. HOLCOM.

LEAF TURNER. APPucATxoN FILED Nov.29. 1919.

1364,992 Patented Jan. 11,1921.

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In Ver: 7'01" jf C. Hocom J. C. HOLCOM.

lEAF TURNER.

APPLICATION FILED N0v.29. I919.

11,364,992 Patented Jan. 11, 1921.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

.|. C. HOLCOM.

LEAF TURNER.

PLlcATloN FILED Nov. 29

1,364,992. "P Patented Jan.11,1921.

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l. C. HOLCOM.

LEAF .TURNEL APPLICATION FILED Nov.29, I9I9.

.s y m. l w 11m m um mw, uw mm y 0 n .JM Wk ,wu 1% UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEAF-TURNER.

Application filed November 29, 1919.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JARRET C. HoLCoM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sulphur Springs, in the county of Hopkins and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Leaf- Turners7 of which the following is a specification.

This application is a substitute for an application filed by me September 22, 1915, Serial No. 51,916.

This invention relates to leaf turners and the primary obj ect of the invention is to provide an apparatus which will efectually turn over the leaves or pages of a musical composition without requiring the player to remove his hands from the instrument upon which he is performing.

Other objects of the invention are to provide au apparatus for the stated purpose which will be noiseless and efficient in operation and which will respond instantly to the actuating impulse; to provide novel means whereby the leaves may be mechanically turned in either direction and in proper succession; to provide means whereby the leaves mayv be quickly and conveniently engaged by the proper leaf-turning arm and may be as easily released after the performance is completed; and to provide an apparatus which may be produced at a low cost and which will not be apt to get out of order.

All these stated objects and other objects which will incidentally appear as the description of the invention proceeds are attained in an apparatus of the characterillustrated inthe accompanying drawings, and the invention resides in certain novel features which will be particularly pointed out in the claims following the detail description.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a piano having my improved leaf-turning apparatus applied thereto;

Fig. 2 isa View, showing the leaf turner in plan;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation on a larger scale of the operating mechanism;

Fig. l is a detailed perspective view of the means for acting directly upon the leafcarrying arms;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6, is a detailedperspective View ofthe Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 11, 1921.

Serial No. 841,429.

mechanism for supporting the book or music while the individual leaves are being engaged by the leaf-turning arms;

Fig. 7 is a detailed perspective view of one of the leaf-turning arms;

Fig. 8 is a vertical section of one of said arms, showing the manner of manipulating the same to engage a sheet.

While I have illustrated the apparatus as applied to a piano, in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that such illustration is not a restriction of the scope of the usefulness of the device as it may be fitted to the music-holding stands employed by performers on other instruments and employed by such performers to the same advantage as by piano players.

In applying the apparatus to a piano, I secure'to the back or inner side of the piano desk, indicated at 1, a housing 2 in which the mechanism acting directly upon the sheets of music is contained. I also mount in the piano case, near the usual pedals,

shown at 3, a pair of pedals .l which are intended to be actuated by the performer to operate the leaf-turning arms. A housing, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 is secured to the inner side of the piano casing and this housing contains a pair of bellows from which flexible conductors or pipes 7 extend to the top of the housing 2, being there fitted over couplings or nipples 8 which extend into the said housing. The pedals 4 project forwardly through openings in the piano case below the panel 10, wear plates 11 being provided around said openings to impart a neat finish thereto.

The nipples 8, to which the upper ends of the respective tubes 7 are fitted, extend through the top wall of the housing 2 and to the inner or lower ends of said nipples I fit flexible tubes 211 which are disposed within the housing and are fitted, respectively, to pneumatic motors or bellows 25. These motors 25 are provided with outwardly opening valves. indicated at 26, so that when a pedal 4 is depressed, the bellows and motor connected thereto will be operated to exhaust the air from the motor and thereby apply a turning force to the leaf-turning arm. A lever arm 27 is secured to and projects upwardly from each motor and the motor is held normally expanded by a spring 28 which is disposed in any convenient manner within the housing 2 and has its upper end connected by a link 29 with the re- Cir spectively adjacent lever arm 27, the resiliency of the spring tending to force it away from the motor and thereby exerting a pull through the link 29 upon the lever arm 27. The lever arms 27 are connected, respectively, by links or connecting rods 30 with crank arms which form parts of the actuating mechanism for the leaf-engaging arms. As shown most clearly in Fig. 4, the links or connecting rods 30 have turnbuckies or adjusting devices 31 interposed in their length so that the throw ol: the crank arms may be accurately adjusted, as will be readily understood. The connecting rod 30, which appears at the left ol the drawings in the present instance, is connected to a crank arm 32 which extends trom a rock shaft or sleeve oit any convenient construction, indicated at 33 as a coil wrapped around a pintle or pivot rod which is secured in lugs 35 projecting from a plate or bracket 36 which is secured to the liront wall of the housing 2 which, in the present instance, is the piano desk, and is provided near its upper end with an opening 37 through which the operating cams project. From the upper portion of the sleeve or coil 56 extends a second crank 38 from which rises a post 39 which has its upper end secured rigidly to a crank 40 loosely mounted upon the upper portion of the pintle rod 34. This crank 40 is extended radially beyond the post 39 and then merges into a circular actuating` member 41 which has its extremity 42 free whereby it may readily pass between adjacent leali-engaging or carrying arms and on its under side is provided with a shoulder 43 which is adapted to engage the respective leaf-carrying arms and thereby swing the same from one to the other side of the device. The inner end of the connecting rod 30 which appears at the right ot the present illustration, is connected to an offset 44 of a crank 45 which has its inner end loosely fitted upon the pintle rod 34 immediately above the sleeve or rock shait 333 and is, consequently, supported by said sleeve or rock shaft. This cranlY like the crank 38, has a post 46 rising therefrom and upon the said post 46. near the lower end thereof, I mount a roller 47 which is adapted to ride on the plate 36 and by contact therewith limit the throw of 'the .rock shaft. The upper extremity ol the post 46 is secured to a crank 4S loosely fitted upon the pintle rod 34 immediately below the crank 40 and this crank 48 merges at its outer end into a ring or annular actuating member 49 which is provided with a shoulder 50 on its upper side and has its eXtrem-- ity free so that it may readily pass between adjacent leali-carrying arms. A' lifting linger 5l is provided on the post f jects laterally therefrom in po i gage a series of steps or abutments 52 which are provided in the path of the said lifting finger. These ahutments or guides are carried by a plate 53 which is mounted upon standards 54 carried in brackets 55 upon the front wall of the housing 2 and arranged adjacent the bracket or plate 36, as clearly shown. The plate 53 is loosely mounted upon the standards 54 so that it may yield, when necessary, to the lifting linger 5l and thereby prevent breakage olf the parts. As shown in Fig. 4, the finger is inclined toward its tree end so as to present inclined surfaces to the guides or abutments.

On the front side of the plate or bracket 36 are lugs 56 in which is secured a vertical post or pintle 57 and the several leaf-carry ing arms 58 are hung upon the said post through the intervention of cantalivers 59 which are rotatably fitted upon the post. Two cantalivers are provided for each leal'- carrying arm, the upper cantaliver having its outer lower end secured to the outwardlyY extending portion of the lower caulaliver and the inner portions of said levers being so bent andarranged that they will not inter- Ytere with the operation oli the several leafcarrying arms successively. Each lever is provided at its inner end with a ring or eye which fits loosely around the post 57 and the upper horizontal portion of the lower cantalivers are adapted to be engaged by the.

shoulders 43 and 50 in the operation o'l the apparatus. As shown clearly in Fig. 4, the eyes ot the several cantalivers are so disposed that each eye rests on and is supported by the eye below it and the lowermost eye rests on and is supported by the lower lug 56. The cantalivers may swing about the post as a pivot but they do not move vertically thereon. The leatcarrying arms 5S are ro tatably mounted in hangers 6() which depend from the lower outer portion of the lower cantalivers 59 and each of said arms 5S is provided at its outer free end with a handle or crank 61 whereby it may be manipulated. Secured rigidly to the said arm 5S are j aws 62 which are adapted to engage the sheet of music and each of these jaws 62 is provided with an angular extension or lug 63 which is adapted to bear upon the resilient jaw 61 when the crank 61 is manipulated to turn thc parts to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8. The lug or extension 6B, bearingr against the jaw 64 which is preferably a lent spring secured rigidly at its upper end to the adjacent hanger 60. will force the said jaw away from the rock shaft or leaf-carrying arm 58 so that the upper edge of' a sheet ot music maybe easily inserted between the jaws. When the sheet is in position, the crank 6l is returned to its depending position and the spring jaw 64 will at once engage the sheet and press it against the jaw 62 so that the sheet will be firmly held. It will be readily understood that the pressure of the spring upon the lug tends to hold the jaws in either position in which they may be set.

With all devices heretofore produced, so far as I am aware, great difficulty has been experienced in holding the several sheets of music in position to be respectively engaged by the leaf-carrying arms and my present invention provides means whereby the several sheets will be firmly held in position upon the music stand until each sheet has been properly engaged by a leaf-carrying arm. This mechanism comprises presser fingers which are adapted to project through the desk of a piano or through the front of a music stand and when in one position, project over the edge of the book or the several sheets of music and when turned to another position lie fiush with or below the surface ofthe desk and, consequently, offer no obstruction to the turning of the leaves. A knob or other handle 66 is also provided in the piano desk or the music stand so that by rotating this knob in one or the other direction, the presser fingers 65 will be either projected and turned to engage over the music or will be turned from over the music and then withdrawn to the music stand. Preferably, the presser fingers will be arranged to seat in recesses 67 formed in plates 68 secured upon the music stand and the knob 66 will also be arranged within a depression or cavity in a suitable plate 69 provided upon the music stand. The plates 68 form the front members of brackets or guides 7 0 which extend into the housing 2 and support the slidable rock shafts 71 which have the presser fingers 65 at their front extremities. Upon the inner or rear ends of these rock shafts 71 are cranks 72 which are pivoted to lugs or ears 73 at the opposite ends of a vertically disposed bar 74. Between its ends this bar is hung upon a spring rod or shaft 75 and is held normally toward the end of said shaft by a spring 76 which is coiled around the said spring shaft or rod between a bracket or guide 77 and the vertically disposed bar. This bracket or guide 7 7 is secured to the front wall of the housing 2 and the outer end of the said spring rod or shaft 75 is held in a bracket 78 also secured upon the front wall of said housing, as shown the said end of the rod being formed into a spring coil 79 having its extremity in the form of a rod 80 secured in the said bracket 78. To the inner end of the spring shaft 75, is pivotally attached a link 81 which is also pivotally attached to a crank 82 on the inner end of a rock shaft 83 which is mounted in a suitable bracket 84 upon the housing 2 and carries a pinion 85 meshing with a pinion 86 on the inner end of a shaft 87 which projects through the housing and carries the knob 66 at its front end. A spring 88A is coiled around the spring shaft 75 and has its ends carried above'and below said shaft, as shown at 89, the extremities of these vertically disposed arms 89 being bent horizontally, as shown at 90, to project between the vertically disposed bar 74: and the front wall of the housing and bear upon the said bar with a tendency to press the same rearwardly and hold it away from the front wall of the housing. In each of the brackets 70 and extending parallel with the rock shaft 71 therein, is a guide and stop rod 91 and upon the said adjacent rock shaft I provide stop fingers 92 which project radially from the said rock shaft at an angle of about 45 degrees to each other and are adapted to engage the said guide so as to limit the rotary movement of the rock shaft.

Then a book or sheets of music are to be secured to the music stand, the knob 66 is rotated and will obviously impart a rotary movement to the shaft 83 through the gearing illustrated and described. The rotation of the shaft 88 will be such that the crank 82 will exert a pull through the link 81 upon the bar 74 against the tension of the spring arms 90. rl`he shafts 71 will, consequently, be caused to slide forwardly through the brackets or guides 70 and the presser fingers 65 will be thereby moved to a. position in front of and spaced from the music stand or the front of the housing 2. As the crank 82 swings downwardly and rearwardly past a dead center, it will exert a downward pull upon the link 81 which will in turn impart a downward movement to the end of the springshaft or carrier 75 and also to the vertically disposed bar 74 connecting the cranks 72 at the inner ends of the rock shafts 71. The downward movement of the bar 74rwill. of course, be imparted directly to the cranks 72 which will thereby rotate the shafts 71 so that the presser fingers 65 will be turned to a position over the edges of the several music sheets. the downward movement of the crank 82 continues, the end of the same will be caused to swing' toward the rear of the apparatus and the springs 90 and 79 will then exert their influence upon the bar '74+'. so as to slide the rock shafts 7i rearwardly and, eonseouently, draw the presser fingers 75 against the music sheets, thereby clamping the same to the music stand. This position is shown in Fig 6. The several sheets may then be cngaged between the jaws 62 and 6ft in the manner previously described and when all of the sheets have been so secured, with the, .first page of the composition engaged by the jaws hung upon the highest cantaliverl` the knob 66 is rotated in a direction opposite to that previously ygiven it. The parts connected with the said knob will, of course, be moved in the reverse directions to that previously taken bv them so that the presser fingers will be lifted from the music and llO then turned to a vertical position so as to clear the music sheets and then withdraw into their seats or recesses in the music stand.

lilith the parts arranged as in Fig. l, the performer depresses the right pedal el at the conclusion of each page of the composition and thereby successively swings the leafcarrying arms from the right side of the piano desk to the left side thereof. After the performance is finished, the left pedal will be depressed so to carry the leaves or sheets successively back to the initial position. rlhe presser lingers G5 may then be reengaged over the music while the leaf-carrying arms are being disengaged therefrom, said presser fingers being subsequently released from the music so as to permit its removal from the music stand. lllhen pedal 4 is depressed, the bellows connected there with will be expanded so as to create suction through the pneumatic motor which in communication therewith and, consequently, the movable side of the motor will be swung toward the ined side thereof or the end of the housing 2 and the lever arm 27 will be oscillated so as to exert a pull through the link 30 upon the crank connected therewith. The right pedal il: is connected with the motor shown at the left in F 3, while the left pedal is connected with the motor shown at the right in said fis: llllien the motor shown at the left of Fig. is operated, the crank 32 will be swung' .o ward the left and, consequently. the cranks 38 and 40 with the post 39 which, together, constitute a rock shaft, will be fw/'ung` pivotally around the pintle 34. llheu this rock shaft is thus actuated, the upper ring ll will be caused to move in a horizontal plane about the pintle 34 and the shoulder 415% thereof will be brought against the upper cantaliver 59 so as to swing the same out from the music stand or thc piano desk and around to the performers left. It will be understood that in the initial position of the parts, this actuating annular member 4.1 rests upon the uppermost cantaliver and inasmuch as the crank Ll5 rests upon the upper end of the sleeve 83, said crank and the actuating` ring 4:9 connected therewith will be held in its uppermost position, The said. ring 4:9, however, will remain at while the crank 82 is operating, except that it will move vertically as the said sleeve moves if'ertically. lt will also be unde l. that the member ell is inactive when i ie member A19 is operating but owingto the arrangement of the cranks 3S, lll), Ll5 and LS vertical movement of either actuating member will cause a similar movement of the other member. lt will be also understood that the member ll is always in a horizontal plane immediatelyT above horizontal plane of a cantaliver and the member e9 is .L the in a horisfzontal plane immediately below the horizontal plane of that same cantaliver.

vWhen the pedal is released, the motor will, of course, expand under the influence of the. spring 28 and the force of air rushing into the motor, and the crank 3Q will, consequently, be returned to its initial position, Vthereby withdrawing the ring 4l from the leaf-carrying arm. As soon as the free end of the said ring clears the cantaliver 59 which has just swung to the left, the said ring, the ring` 49 and the parts connected therewith will drop by gravity so that the portion of the ring lll in advance of the shoulder will then rest upon the next lower cantaliver. lVhen the pedal is again operated, the second cantaliver, with the lcaf-crrjfing arm connected therewith, will be swung to the left in the manner just described. lt will thus be seen that the mecha- .nism has a step by step dropping or descending movement so that it will automatically be in position to engage the cantalivers successively. lVhen it is desired to return the sheets of music to the right side of the piano desk, or the music stand, the loft pedal el is operated and will cause movement of the motor 25, shown at the right of Fig. 3, as will be understood. lVhen the said motor is actuated under the influence of the pedal, a `pull will be exerted upon the crank 4:5 through the offset 44 so that the rock shaft consisting of the said crank, the post il@ and the upper crank 48, will be swung rearwardly and to the right within the housing Q. The ring- 49 is now resting upon the lower wall of the opening 37, having dropped thereon when the ring 4l released the lowest 'cantaliver. The movement of the crank f8 will, of course, be imparted directly to the ring 49 and the, parts associated therewith, the lifting linger 51 riding upon the lowest abutment or guide 52 and being thereby raised so that all the parts will be lifted and the shoulder 5l will be brought into proper position to positively impinge against the lowest cantaliver. It is to be understood that the actuating members Lll and 49 do not make a complete revolution and carry the cantalivers from side to side, but they move through relatively small arcs, although by reason of the sensitiveness of the pneumatic motors,r they move rapidly The cantaliver engaged by' an actuating member moves, of course, at the same speed as the member engaging it and the impulse carries it to the opposite side of the desk or stand. During the entire working movement of the ring a9, the lifting finger rests upon Vthe abutment or guide and supports the working parts. l hen the return movement begins, the impetus of the cantaliver will have carried it under the ring Lll and, consequently. dropping of the parts cannot occur. As the parts return to initial position, the lifting finger rides under the guide immediately above the guide over which it has just passed, the plate 53 rising to permit the finger to pass but dropping to the lower bracket 55 as soon as it clears the linger so that upon the next working movement, the described lifting action will be repeated.

lt is thought the advantages of my improved leaf turner will be readily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings without further detailed reference to the same and it is to be understood that changes may be made in the minor details of construction or arrangement of parts without involving any departure from the spirit or scope of the invention as the same is defined in the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. In a leaf-turning apparatus, the combination of a support mounted to swing in a horizontal plane, hangers fixed to and depending from said support, a leaf carrying arm mounted for rocking movement in the said hangers below the support, leaf-engaging jaws fixed to said arm to rock therewith, and resilient jaws secured to said hangers and depending therefrom past the arm to bear against and coperate .with the firstmentioned aws to secure a leaf.

2. In a leaf-turning apparatus, a support arranged to swing in a horizontal plane, a leaf-carrying arm mounted for rocking movement on said support, a jaw fixed 'to said arm, a resilient jaw secured on the support and extending over the first-mentioned jaw to cooperate therewith, and a lug on the first-mentioned jaw bearing upon the resilient jaw whereby to hold the jaws together upon a leaf to be carried, or separated to permit the insertion or withdrawal of a leaf.

3. The combination of a plurality of leafcarrying arms, a vertically disposed pintle rod, a pair of actuating members, one disposed above and the other below one of the leaf-carrying arms, the upper actuating member being adapted to engage the upper sides of the arms successively and the lower actuating member being adapted to engage the lower sides of the arms successively, rock shafts loosely mounted upon the pintle and secured, resepectively to the said actuating members, means connected with said rock shaft to swing the same independently.I and means for eecting vertical movement of the rock shafts to bring each actuating member into engagement with the successive leaf-carrying arms.

4. The combination with a plurality of leaf-carrying arms, of upper and lower actuating members arranged to engage said arms, rock shafts connected with the respective actuating members and mounted for independent rotation, the rock shaft connected with the uppermost actuating member being provided. with a sleeve supporting the lower end of the rock shaft connected with the lower actuating member, and means for actuating said rock shafts whereby the actuating member connected respectively therewith will successively engage the leaf-carrying arms.

The combination of a plurality of leafcarrying arms, a vertical series of spaced guides disposed in rear of said arms, upper and lower actuating members adapted to engage the leaf-carrying arms, rock shafts connected respectively with the said members, means acting on said rock shafts to independently rotate the same, the rock shaft connected with the upper actuating member supporting the rock shaft connected with the lower actuating member, and a lifting finger projecting laterally from the last-mentioned rock shaft and adapted to ride upon the said guides successively, the guides and the finger being relatively inclined to effect vertical movement of the rock shaft and raise the actuating members to act upon successively higher leaf-carrying arms.

6. The combination of a pintle, a plurality of leaf-carrying arms supported for movement about said pintle in horizontal planes, a second pintle spaced from the first pintle, a rock shaft consisting of upper and lower cranks mounted to slide upon and rotate about the second pintle and a post connecting said cranks, a second similar rock shaft having its cranks disposed between the cranks of the first-mentioned rock shaft, means connected with the lower ends of the said rock shafts for rotating the same indef pendently, and two members fixed to the upper ends of the respective rock shafts and adapted to move in horizontal planes one of said members carrying means to engage over the leaf-carrying arms successively to move the same in one direction and the other of said members carrying means to engage under the leaf-carrying arms successively to move them in the opposite direction.

7. rflic combination of a plurality of leafcarrying arms, a vertical series of spaced vertically movable guides disposed in rear of said arms, upper and lower actuating members adapted to engage the leaf-carrying arms, rock shafts connected respectively with the said members, means acting on said rock shafts to independently rotate the same,

vthe rock shaft connected with the upper actuating member supporting the rock shaft connected with the lower actuating member, and a lifting` finger projecting laterally from the last-mentioned rock shaft and adapted to ride upon the said guides successively, the guides and lifting finger being relatively inclined whereby upon movement of the finger in one direction the guides will yield and upon movement in the opposite direction the finger will ride over the guides and will be thereby moved vertically to raise the rock shafts and the actuating members.

8. The combination of a plurality of leafcarrying arms mounted for movement about a common center and having their pivotal portions disposed in dierent horizontal planes, actuating members arranged one above and one below one of the leaf-carrying arms, means for independently swinging said actuating members across the vertical plane of the leaf-carrying arms, the actuating members being movable vertically whereby each actuating member when in operation will engage and actuate the leafcarrying arms successively, and means cooperating with the lower actuating member to raise the member step by step.

9. The combination of a plurality of leafcarrying arms mounted for movement about a common center and having their pivotal portions in different horizontal planes, an actuating member arranged adjacent the pivotal portions of the leaf-carrying arms, means for operating said actuating member, a plurality of vertically movable guides arranged adjacent said operating means, and a linger projecting from said means toward said guides, the finger and the guides being relatively inclined whereby on movement of the finger in one direction the fin er will ride under a guide and the guides will yield and on movement in the opposite direction the guides will remain stationary and the finger will rise over a guide to cause the actuating member to engage and actuate the leaf-carrying arms successively.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JARRET C. HOLCOM. [Ls] 

